This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/828,959 filed Mar. 28, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,450, and a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/904,936 filed Aug. 1, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,305, and of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/006,033 filed Jan. 12, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,119 the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein entirely by reference.
The present invention relates to personalized telecommunications services, preferably offered through an intelligent telephone network, and to such a service providing personalized call waiting. The personalized call waiting service may personalize the waiting tone to the called subscriber and/or personalize the identification of the caller if provided with the call waiting signal.
The written description uses a large number of acronyms to refer to various services, messages and system components. Although generally known, use of several of these acronyms is not strictly standardized in the art. For purposes of this discussion, acronyms therefore will be defined as follows:
Address Complete Message (ACM)
Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)
Analog Display Services Interface (ADSI)
Answer Message (ANM)
Automatic Number Identification (ANI)
Call Processing Record (CPR)
Call Waiting (CW)
Central Office (CO)
Common Channel Interoffice Signalling (CCIS)
Common Channel Signaling (CCS)
Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
Data and Reporting System (DRS)
Destination Point Code (DPC)
Dual Tone MultiFrequency (DTMF)
Frequency Shift Key (FSK) data modulation
Generic Data Interface (GDI)
Initial Address Message (IAM)
Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP)
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
ISDN User Part (ISDN-UP)
Intelligent Peripheral (IP)
Line Identification Data Base (LIDB)
Multi-Services Application Platform (MSAP)
Office Equipment (OE)
Origination Point Code (OPC)
Personal Communications Service (PCS)
Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)
Point in Call (PIC)
Primary Rate Interface (PRI)
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
Service Control Point (SCP)
Service Creation Environment (SCE)
Service Management System (SMS)
Service Switching Point (SSP)
Signaling System 7 (SS7)
Signaling Point (SP)
Signaling Transfer Point (STP)
Simplified Message Desk Interface (SMDI)
Speaker Identification/Verification (SIV)
Terminating Attempt Trigger (TAT)
Time Slot Interchange (TSI)
Traffic Service Position System (TSPS)
Transaction Capabilities Applications Part (TCAP)
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Trunk (TR)
Telephone service has become virtually ubiquitous throughout the modern world. A person can simply take a telephone off-hook, dial a destination telephone number, and if someone answers the called telephone, the caller can converse with another party anywhere in the world.
Today, however, the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and other telephone networks such as cellular systems provide most telephone services based on number identification of the telephone set or line that each party uses. Services are personalized only to the extent that a party uses the same line and/or instrument. For example, a person typically has one set of service features and billing options available via a telephone on the person""s desk at the office, another set of service features and billing options available via the telephone line to their home and perhaps a third set of service features and billing options available via a wireless telephone (e.g. cellular or personal communications service (PCS)). The networks process calls to and from each of these different subscriber telephones based on a separate telephone number. A caller may use personalized billing options by using a calling card, but often the input operations for calling card service are overly complex. With the exception of calling card billing, each person using a particular telephone typically can only access those service features and billing options associated with the particular line or telephone instrument.
The proliferation of services causes subscribers inconvenience. For example, circumstances arise in which a subscriber may want a feature or billing option normally associated with one line or instrument, such as the office telephone, when they are in fact using a different line or instrument such as their home or PCS telephone. Alternatively, two or more persons using one telephone or line often want different sets of service options. Also, the extreme increase in demand for telephone services is rapidly exhausting the capacity of the network, particularly in terms of the telephone numbers available under the current numbering plan.
A number of specific solutions have been proposed for individual problems, such as work at home and/or transfer of service to new location(s) as an individual travels. However, each of these solutions is limited or creates its own new problems.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,035 to Jordan et al. discloses a method of using an intelligent network to provide a xe2x80x98follow-mexe2x80x99 type service through multiple exchanges of the switched telephone network using an AIN type of telephone system architecture. Each subscriber to the locator service has a unique person locator telephone number. To access the system to update data in a service control database, the subscriber dials 0700 and his unique person locator telephone number. The telephone switching office routes the call to a traffic service position system (TSPS) which prompts the caller (e.g. provides an additional dial tone) and receives further digits from the subscriber. The subscriber inputs a three digit access code, indicating the type of update call, and a four digit personal identification number. If calling from the remote station to which the subscriber wishes his calls routed, the local switching office forwards the line identification number of that station to the TSPS. The TSPS forwards the dialed information and the line identification to the data base for updating the particular subscriber""s location record. A caller wishing to reach the subscriber dials the subscriber""s unique person locator number. A telephone switching office sends the dialed number to the central database. The database retrieves the stored completion number for the called subscriber and forwards that number back to the switching office to complete the call.
The Jordan et al. approach allows calls to follow the subscriber to each new location, but the subscriber must have a unique telephone number for this service. Each station that receives a call also must have a unique telephone number. As such, the Jordan et al. approach actually exacerbates the shortage of telephone numbers. Also, Jordan et al. rely on subscriber input of identification numbers. Subscribers often find this inconvenient, and this technique is often prone to number entry errors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,373 to Lee et al. discloses a system for providing special telephone services to a customer on a personal basis, when the customer is away from his or her home base or office. The personalized services are provided in a multiple exchange office environment, using a central database for feature control. The nationally accessible central database system stores feature data in association with personal identification numbers. A subscriber wishing to use his personalized features while away from home base dials a special code and presents the personal identification number. The exchange transmits a query to the central database, and the corresponding feature data is retrieved from the database. The database forwards the feature data to the exchange, and the exchange stores the received feature data in association with the station from which the request was initiated. Subsequently, the exchange accesses the downloaded feature data to provide telephone service corresponding to the subscriber""s personalized telephone features via the station the subscriber is currently operating from. A temporary office arrangement may be established in which the personalized features will be immediately available on incoming and outgoing calls for a period of time specified by the subscriber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,899 to Gupta et al. pertains to a system wherein a subscriber can assign desired characteristics to any xe2x80x9ctarget stationxe2x80x9d which is an active telephone accessible to a telecommunications network. A call thereafter that originates from the target station can use customized features, such as account code dialing and corporate billing arrangements. Initially, a service profile is created and stored for each subscriber and contains information describing desired features and billing options. The characteristics of a particular target station are changed by an activation process that can be initiated from any location. Automatic number identification (ANI) information associated with the target station is entered into an ANI trigger table in an intelligent switch, and the service profile is loaded into a database. When a call originates from the target station, information in the database is applied to the switch to provide the desired characteristics. An example of one of the features is when an employee of company X wishes to make business related calls from his/her telephone, the call has the characteristics of a call made from the office by a special billing arrangement.
Like Jordan, the Lee et al. and Gupta et al. systems depend on a dialed number entry by the subscriber to activate the service. Also, the Lee et al. and Gupta et al. systems do not provide a simple manner for more than one subscriber to obtain personalized service over the same telephone line. In Lee et al., during the period when the switch stores the roaming subscriber""s profile in association with the line, all calls are processed based on that one profile. Similarly, in Gupta et al., while the ANI trigger is set against the line, all outgoing calls cause database access and use of the subscriber""s profile in the database. There is no way to fall back on the normal profile for that line unless and until the service for the roaming subscriber is cancelled with respect to that one line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,571 to Kay et al. discloses an Area Wide Centrex service provided by an advanced intelligent telephone network. The service provides centrex features, such as extension dialing, to multiple locations. The Kay et al. patent also suggests a Work-at-Home feature. This feature allows the home telephone line to selectively operate as a residential line or as a Centrex business line, on a call-by-call basis. For a business call, the user would preface the call with an access indicator to identify a business call. When an outgoing call from the home line lacks the access indicator, the network processes the call as a standard residential call.
The Work-at-Home feature in the Kay et al. system requires only dialing of a code before each outgoing business call. However, the Kay et al. approach requires that the business profile is stored in association with the home line before the subscriber makes the call. The subscriber can use the Centrex billing and service features from the business account only from a home telephone previously associated with the business line. The subscriber can not use the billing and service features from the business account from any randomly selected telephone. Also, from the home line, a person can either use the normal residential profile service or the pre-defined business profile service. There is insufficient flexibility to enable a wider range of services for multiple subscribers through the one line.
Two increasingly popular telephone services are distinctive ringing and call waiting. At least certain implementations of these services provide some limited customer related information, but only based on called or calling party telephone numbers.
Distinctive ringing allows a customer to have more than one telephone number assigned to that customer""s line for incoming calls, and the network provides a different ringing signal over the line for each incoming call depending on which of the subscriber""s numbers was dialed. Consider an example in which a family has one line with two numbers and a distinctive ringing service. The first number is used for the family as a whole, and the second number is used for a teenage son or daughter. The distinctive ringing allows people in the household to know whether or not each incoming call is for the teenager. The incoming calls are personalized to individuals in the residence, but the telephone network must assign two or more numbers to the one line. Telephone numbers are an increasingly scarce resource.
Basic call waiting service informs a user of a called party station engaged on an existing call of the presence of a waiting, incoming call. With this service, the end office switch providing telephone service to the called party""s station typically applies an audible tone burst to that party""s line. The service provides the user with options for terminating the existing call and answering the waiting call or placing the existing call on hold to answer the waiting call. Of course, the user may simply ignore the call waiting tone and allow the waiting call to go unanswered.
Call waiting services have been personalized, to some extent. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,269 to Eisdorfer discloses a methodology for using information about a calling party""s identity or the importance of a call to control the call waiting signal played to a called party that is busy on another call. The network routes the secondary incoming call to an intelligent processor, which interacts with the caller to obtain identity related information or an indication of the caller""s perception of the importance of the call. The call waiting process and signaling to the subscriber is then controlled in accord with the identity or importance signified by the caller. For example, in one embodiment, the network provides a distinctive call-waiting signal over the subscriber""s line, based on information about the identity of the calling party. This type of approach does provide added information about the caller to the called subscriber, but the distinctive tone can identify only a limited number of calling parties. Also, the called subscriber must remember to associate the tone sequence with a particular caller, whom the subscriber may not receive calls from often. In that sense, the personalization to individual callers is limited at best. Also, there is no distinction or personalization to different parties who may use the called station.
As another example of enhancements to call waiting, a number of the telephone carriers, including the regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs), have deployed a switched based service feature identified as xe2x80x98Call Waiting Deluxexe2x80x99. The xe2x80x98Deluxexe2x80x99 service enables the called party to select one of an enlarged set of call dispositions, by activating telephone keys or by activation of an intelligent display type telephone. Also, if the xe2x80x98Deluxexe2x80x99 service subscriber has a calling identity delivery service and an appropriate terminal, the switch provides caller ID with the call waiting tone. In this way, the incoming or waiting call is personalized to the individual caller. However, this personalization is only based on the telephone number of the calling station or line, and there is no delivery of any information regarding the actual waiting caller""s personal identity. If name information is provided, it is the name identified with the calling telephone number for billing purposes, which may or may not be the name of the caller, as discussed more later. A more detailed description of the Call Waiting Deluxe feature is available in Bell Communication Research, xe2x80x9cLSSGR, LATA Switching Systems Generic Requirements, CLASS Feature: Call Waiting Deluxe,xe2x80x9d FSD 01-02-1215, Technical Reference TR-NWT-000416, Issue 2, Aug. 1993.
If a subscriber has both distinctive ringing and call waiting, the telephone networks can provide a distinctive call waiting tone, particularly in carrier networks supporting the xe2x80x98Deluxexe2x80x99 call waiting feature (see for example the above cited LSSGR document, at pages 43-44). Specifically, the program controlled switch serving the subscriber may apply a variable tone. The normal call waiting signal is a 440 Hz tone applied to the line for 300xc2x150 ms. For distinctive alerting, the switch may vary this tone by using one or more interruption patterns, for example 150 ms on, followed by 150 ms off, followed by another 150 ms on, etc. Other patterns may be used. Alternatively, the switch may apply alerting tones of distinctively different audio frequencies and/or vary the tone frequency during transmission to the user. The distinctive alerting, for multiple number called subscriber lines, does personalize the waiting signaling to some extent. However, like distinctive ringing, this personalization requires assignment of multiple telephone numbers to the one line, and thus uses up a scarce network resource.
Another popular telephone service is caller identification or xe2x80x98caller IDxe2x80x99. The telephone network identifies the telephone number associated with the line or instrument used by the calling party and supplies the telephone number to a display device at the called customer""s premises.
Subscribers having ISDN service receive caller ID data, for display at the time of an incoming call, in the form of a data message which the end office switch transmits over the D-channel. For analog telephone customers, however, existing caller ID utilizes in-band transmission technology similar to that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,582,956 and 4,551,581 to Doughty. In such an analog system, the end office switch connected to the called party""s line transmits directory number data for the calling party""s telephone line as frequency shift keyed (FSK) data inserted in the silent interval between ringing signal pulses applied to the called party""s line. The receiving apparatus includes a line interface unit, a converter, a control circuit and a display unit. A frequency shift keyed (FSK) signal representing the special service information is filtered from the ringing signals by the line interface unit. The converter detects the FSK signal and demodulates the special service information from the FSK signal. Following detection of the FSK signal, the control circuit receives and stores the special service information. The stored information is periodically sent to the display unit to begin exhibiting thereof during the silent interval before the next ringing signal.
The local telephone exchange carriers have recently begun offering an enhanced form of caller ID, sometimes referred to as xe2x80x98Caller ID Deluxexe2x80x99 service. This enhanced service utilizes AIN type call processing to access a Line Information Database (LIDB) to translate the calling party""s directory number into name data. The end office switch forwards the name data and the normal caller ID telephone number as FSK encoded data inserted in the silent intervals between ringing signals.
The LIDB database includes a single listing for each telephone line and translates each number into a single name, typically the name of the party identified as the customer or subscriber for billing purposes. In fact, the LIDB database provides this single translation even for calls from one line having multiple telephone numbers. Consider an example in which a family has one line with two numbers and a distinctive ringing service. The first number is used for the family as a whole, and the second number is used for a teenage son or daughter. The distinctive ringing allows people in the household to know whether or not each incoming call is for the teenager. On outgoing calls, however, the end office switch always identifies the line by the primary number (the family""s number), and the LIDB database always provides the name of the billing subscriber, e.g. the father""s name. As a result, when the teenager calls a friend, the friend will receive the main number and possibly the father""s name, for both caller ID service and for any call waiting type service having a caller ID feature. If the friend calls back using the information from his caller ID display terminal, the friend calls the family""s main number, not the teenager""s number.
The above discussed examples of prior suggestions to personalize services have not adapted the caller identification to correspond to the actual party using the telephone on the outgoing call. For example, in a system like that of Lee, Gupta or Kay, the caller might use features and billing options associated with her personalized or work service, but any such calls would produce a caller ID display identifying the number of the station from which she originated the call. If the called party subscribed to the name type enhanced caller ID or a corresponding xe2x80x98Deluxexe2x80x99 call waiting service with display, the network would provide a name associated with that telephone number, not the name of the actual calling party.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,961,217 and 4,759,056 proposed a card based system for providing personalized features, including caller name display. Each user has a xe2x80x9cportable memory devicexe2x80x9d in the form of an identification card bearing personal information including identification information. When initiating a call, the user inserts the card in the calling station, and information from the card is transmitted to the central switching system. In one embodiment, the switching system translates the identification information from the card to produce a textual representation of the calling party""s name and transmits that information to a called terminal for display. Although this system does provide a name display identifying the actual called party, the system requires the use of the identification card and specialized calling terminals for reading the information from the cards.
As shown by the above discussion, a need still exists for an effective technique to personalize telephone service features, particularly as they relate to call waiting. The service should be personalized, to allow distinctive alerting for multiple called parties using a particular link or station, without the need to assign more than one number to the particular link or station. The call waiting service also should be personalized for calling parties, to provide actual subscriber identification for caller ID, not just number or name information associated with the calling station or line.
The present invention addresses the above noted problems and provides advances over the existing technology by personalizing telecommunication services, particularly services relating to call waiting, based on an identification of an actual subscriber. If the subscriber is the called party, the personalized service provides a distinctive alerting signal, for example, a distinctive ringing or indicating a waiting call for the particular subscriber. If the subscriber is the calling party, the personalized service provides specific personal information, such as a name or number and code, specifically associated with the identified subscriber.
On calls from the subscriber, the personalized services of the present invention rely on speech authenticated identification of the actual calling subscriber. On incoming calls, the services rely on a voice response unit type functionality, preferably utilizing speech recognition, to identify the actual called subscriber. Offices of a communication network utilize profile data associated with the identified subscriber, rather than profile data associated with a particular telephone number or a particular communication link. In many of the preferred service applications, the network uses a virtual office equipment number assigned to the subscriber""s profile data to retrieve the data for providing a requested service, reducing or eliminating the need for assignment of additional telephone numbers. The network uses at least some data identifying the specific subscriber from the profile, e.g., to facilitate subscriber specific caller identification or subscriber specific alerting for ringing or for call waiting signals.
Thus, one aspect of the invention relates to a method involving detecting a call to a predetermined destination identifier. The identifier is associated with a number of known individual subscribers. In response to the detected call, the method provides a prompt to a caller, and analyzes an input from the caller. The prompt and input analysis enables identification of one of the known subscribers as an individual intended as a recipient of the detected call. Profile information, corresponding to the intended recipient subscriber, is loaded into a call processing register of a switch serving a link to a destination station corresponding to the identifier. There are a number of predetermined call alert signals. The method involves sending a distinct one of these alert signals, identifying the intended recipient subscriber, over the link to the destination station. The preferred embodiments of this method provide distinctive ringing signals identifying called subscribers and/or distinctive call waiting signals to identify called subscribers.
In the disclosed embodiments, the one identifier is a single telephone number. Two or more subscribers share a telephone number for incoming calls. Upon identification of one of the subscribers as the intended recipient for the particular call, the intelligent telephone network utilizes a virtual office equipment number to retrieve a profile, corresponding to the intended recipient. The network uses this profile as the terminating subscriber profile, to process the call to the destination. In particular, the profile provides the information necessary to apply the appropriate type of distinctive alerting signal.
Another aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus, including a telecommunication network and a platform, for providing a distinctive alerting type communication service. The telecommunication network includes central office switching systems, interconnected by trunk circuits, for processing calls originated over various communication links. At least one of the switching systems has a mass storage, which contains subscriber profiles. The platform is coupled via a communication link to one of the central office switching systems. The platform provides a message to a caller and receives an input from the caller. In response to a call to the destination identifier, the network routes the call to the platform. The platform prompts the caller and analyzes a caller""s input, to identify one subscriber as the intended recipient of the particular call. Upon identifying the intended recipient subscriber, the platform provides a code corresponding to that subscriber to a central office switching system serving a link corresponding to the destination identifier. In the preferred embodiments, the code is a virtual office equipment number. The switching system utilizes profile information, corresponding to the intended recipient subscriber, to process the call. In particular, that system transmits the distinct alerting signal for that subscriber over the link to the destination.
The preferred embodiments of this network take the form of an advanced intelligent network implementation of the public switched telephone network. The switching systems are central office telephone switches. The platform typically is an intelligent peripheral. The network includes a signaling network and a service control point. The network may include an additional data network, for communications between the service control point and the intelligent peripheral.
Other aspects of the invention relate to methods and systems for providing personalized caller ID types of information, personal to the individual caller, on incoming calls, particularly waiting incoming calls. One such aspect of the invention relates to a method which begins with the detection of a request for a communication service, from a first communication link to a second link, through a communication network. The calling party is identified as one of the subscribers associated with the first link. The method then uses a virtual office equipment number, assigned to the identified subscriber, to retrieve corresponding profile data from stored profile data for the plurality of subscribers. The network provides signaling over the second link, to indicate an attempt to complete the communication service to the second link. A portion of the retrieved profile data is used to provide an identification of the one subscriber, as the calling party, over the second communication link. For example, the network may provide a ringing signal and a caller ID message naming the particular caller. Alternatively, if the link to the called party is busy, the network may provide a call waiting alert signal together with the caller ID message. The use of the virtual office identifier to locate the calling subscriber profile and identification data obviates the need to associate each such subscriber with a separate, unique telephone number or station identifier.
Other caller ID related aspects of the invention specifically involve providing the caller identification information with a call waiting type alert signal. The preferred embodiments of this feature utilize speech authentication, to identify the calling subscriber. Also, an office equipment number, assigned to the identified subscriber, is used to retrieve the subscriber""s profile. The retrieved profile provides information used for further processing of the call from the subscriber, including data necessary to enable identification of the caller to the called party with the call waiting alert signal.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.